Mounting assemblies



Sept. 1, 1959 J. J. GRIBBLE MOUNTING AssEMBLIEs Filed sept. 14, 1955 INVENTOR. JOSEPH J. GR\BBLE ATTO NEY United States Patent MOUNTING ASSEMBLIES Joseph J. Gribble, Fox Point, Wis., assignor to Square D Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application September 14, 1955, Serial No. 534,290 s claims. (c1. 174-53) 'Ihe present invention relates to mounting assemblies and more particularly, to mounting assemblies for positioning structures in the process of assembly.

On occasion, a structure or mechanism requires a protective enclosure to either seal the unit or protect operating mechanism from dust and dirt which may accumulate in the absence of such an enclosure. At other times a protective enclo-sure may be desirable because the structure carries a high voltage or is otherwise inherently dangerous when exposed. In certain instances the mechanism enclosed requires an external access, particularly where the mechanism involved is used for control. The positioning of the structure inside the enclosure may require that a portion of the mechanism extend through a cover plate. Since the seating of the cover plate prevents manipulation of the mechanism for alignment, means must be provided for aligning and seating the projecting structure or mechanism through the opening of the cover plate in order to seat the cover.

Prior to the present invention, haphazard methods of juggling the projecting structure for seating alignment with the opening in the cover were far from satisfactory, resulting in loss in time each time the cover plate was placed on the enclosure. Removal and reseating of the cover plate is often times required at regular intervals for checking, repair, in addition to seating at time of the initial assembly.

The present invention overcomes these difculties by the provision of a bracket type mounting means which automatically positions and aligns any mechanism projecting through the cover upon placing the cover over the enclosure.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a mounting assembly for positioning a structure in the process of assembly.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of an assembly for positioning and seating a member along the edge of the surface.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a bracket assembly for aligning a displaceable member to be seated in the iinal step of enclosure wherein the member forms a part of and is connected to the structure enclosed and projects through the last assembled part of the enclosure for external access.

Still another object is to provide a bracket assembly supporting and positioning an element to be seated in the opening of a cover plate.

A still further object is the provision of a bracket assembly for positioning and seating a switch housing in the opening of a cover which completes a protective enclosure upon seating of said cover.

Further objects and features of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the specification and appended drawing illustrating certain preferred embodiments in which:

Figure 1 is a partially exploded view of a mounting assembly including a pushbutton station or switch, which illustrates an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a frontal view of the mounting assembly of Figure 1 placed in position on a contactor shown in the background in dotted lines.

Figure 3 is a frontal view of a contactor housed in a protective enclosure, the cover plate being positioned for closure.

Figure 4 is a frontal view of a contactor in the enclosure of Figure 3, the cover being closed and seated and the push button station or switch seated and projecting through the opening in the cover plate.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in Figure 1 which illustrates a preferred embodiment, a mounting assembly for positioning and seating a member in a cover plate. The mounting assembly includes a U-shaped bifurcated mounting bracket 13, having legs 16 extending in a plane parallel to the plane of the base portion of the mounting bracket. A resilient leaf spring 14 extends across the legs 16 and is removably detachable therefrom and includes a pair of end slots corresponding to opposing slots in the legs of the bracket. A raised center portion 15 is formed in the spring 14 for resiliently supporting a switch housing or pushbutton station 12 between the slotted openings 11. The pair of slots 11 are formed in the bottom of the switch housing for receiving the corresponding legs 16 of the mounting bracket. For the purpose of illustration, the switch housing 12 has been shown as a pushbutton station including a housing in the form of a block having a pair of start-stop pushbuttons 17. A pair of slots 8 are formed in the base of the U-shaped bracket 13 for accommodating a pair of screws or other fastening means to mount the bracket on a base 20 as shown in Figure 2.

A contactor assembly 25 has been illustrated in Figure 2 and forms a base for the mounting assembly of Figure 1. This figure shows the switch housing 12 in assembled position on the mounting bracket 13 with the legs of the bracket extending into the slots 11, and the raised portion 15 of the leaf spring resiliently supporting the housing on the lower side between the ends ofthe bracket. With the contactor and mounted assembly in the vertical position, the legs of the bracket 13 and spring 14 provides a resilient support aligning the switch housing 12. Further, the switch housing 12 may rest against the contactor assembly 25 providing a further support axis transverse to the plane of the drawings projection.

A protective enclosure 21 is shown surrounding the contactor and mounting assembly in Figure 3. In this figure the cover plate 24 is posed for closure and may be seated at the top edge wherein the opening 22 in t-he cover plate is slightly out of vertical alignment with the switch housing 23 movably mounted on legs 16 of the bracket.

At least a portion of the station or switch housing 12 projects through the opening 22 of the cover plate when the protective enclosure has been assembled. The portion of the switch housing that extends through the cover plate tapers inwardly forming a slope or inclined edge about the raised portion 18. Since the switch housing is displaced upward vertically from the opening 22, the edge 23 and the outer extremity of the raised portion 18 or inclined edge 19 cooperate upon applying a pressure to the cover plate to produce a downward vertical force on the switch housing deflecting the leaf spring 14, permitting the housing to move in the same direction aligning the opening 22 with the base of raised portion 18 and seating the edges of the base of the raised portion along the edges of the plate forming the opening, as

shown in Figure 4. It should be noted the edge 23 of the plate forming the upper limit of the opening 22 may travel along an arc. The transverse or vertical component of this arc add-s to the transverse displacement resulting from the slope or incline of the edge-19'. Therefore, the permissible displacement of the switch housing 12 for seating in thek opening 22 of the cover plate is at least double the transverse travel resolved from the incline, permitting a larger tolerance in the initial vertical alignment of the housing.

In operation, the cover plate may be first seated along the upper edge of the enclosure base or lower section ofthe enclosure as shown in Figure 3. rEhe opposing top edge of the cover plate is then lowered whereby the edge of the plate defining the top of the opening` strikes the inclined edge A19l of the raised portion 18. Upon applying additional pressure to` seat they cover plateA the edge 23 transmits a force to leaf springv 14 through the switchhousing at the center of the base portiony of said housing.. Since the switchv housing 12 isl displaceable vertically against the resiliency of the spring 14, the housing; moves downwardly in alignment with the opening 22. as the; edge of the plate follows the inclined edge until it seats at the base of the raised portion 18. Upon removal. of the cover plateV the resiliency of the spring moves the switch housing into the position shown in Figure 3.

While certain preferred embodiments of the invention havev been speciiicall-y disclosed, it is understood that the invention is not limited thereto, as many variations wilh bey readily apparent to those skilled in the art and the invention isto be given; its broadest possible interpretationl within the terms of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1.` A device for supporting an electricaly unit in an enclosure; said device being provided with a pair of spaced slots'` and comprising a' sheet-like part having a mountingv portion securabl'e within the enclosure and a pair of spacedv arms vertically extending from the mounting portion which arms are arranged to be received in slots in the unit for horizontallyv positioning the unit in the enclosure and a leaf spring having ends carried by the arms and an intermediate portion engageable with the unit for resiliently vertically supporting the unit within the enclosure when the unit is positioned on the arms, said enclosure being provided with a hinged cover that has an opening therein and the electrical unit being provided with a tapered extension which is receivable in the opening, said tapered extensionv and leaf spring cooperating. to position the device in the enclosure when the' cover is moved to close the enclosure.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the arms of the device are disposed in a plane oiset and fparallel to the plane of the mounting portion.

3. The combination as recited in claim 1 wherein the arms and spring are both provided with notches which cooperate to position the spring onf the arms.

4. The combination asl recited in claim: 1 wherein the arms are provided with shoulders to limit the movement of the unit on they device.

5. The combination as recited in claim 1 wherein the mounting portion is provided with elongated slots to permit lateral adjustment of the taperedr portion on the unit inthe opening inthe cover.

References Cited in the tile of this' patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 842,063 Bedinger Ian. 22, 1907' 1,467,947 Norviel Sept. 11', 1923 1,604,819 Gaynor Oct. 26,. 1926 1,857,185 Flaherty May 10, 1932 1,933,358` Almcrantz Oct. 31, 1933 2,063,099' Loock Dec. 8, 1936 2,372,083 Johanssony et al Mar. 201945 2,502,253 Fox Mar. 28', 1950 

